8.1 recovery or install disk

Such is not available, so far I know.
However, there is an alternative.

You can do a system image backup on an external hard drive or DVDs.
System Image Backup application is under File History.

 

This article indicates a Recovery Disk can be created in Win 8.1 as well.

 

HI

You can create a system image in Windows 8 by going to Control Panel, Windows 7 File Recovery.
As weird as it sounds this is where you make a System Image of your Windows 8 installation.

It will create a boot disk, and it will add the option to restore your system from an image files to the Windows 8 recovery menu.

Personally I use Paragon Backup and Recovery, it has saved me several times and it's what I used to go from Windows 8.1 back to Windows 8, and it's free.

Mike

 

System Image fails at the end in Windows 8.1. Do a search for how to create a recovery image in Windows 8 & 8.1. I forget the procedure, but it involves using a Administrative Command Prompt and put it on your external h.d./flash drive. The command is recimg, but I forget the rest. I had to use it the other day in Windows 8.1 Pro w/ Media Center x64.

 

You might want to consider the circumstances under which you would need a specific type of backup. Resets and Refreshes need an install that is pretty much intact, except for problems with the OS partition. You can use custom Refresh images, as suggested by brkkab, and even create a Reset image to be used to completely replace the OS partition and set it back to the day the image was created.

A Recovery Drive will allow the Repair system to run and even Reset your system, if you have an install with a Recovery partition from which an image can be copied to it. You can create and setup that Recovery Image if you so desire. But it will not recover a failed drive unless you have a System Image.

A System Image will allow you to replace a failed hard drive and not skip a beat. That process is still available in 8.1 but it is seeing a particular problem right now concerning creating images.

Edit: You can download Windows 8.1 RTM .iso files from this site. They were posted for anyone, but only Technet or MSDN users got the special key to install. You might be able to set them up to use for recovery scenarios.

 

It seem like Microsoft just gets worse and worse at supporting anyone who has some computer knowledge, and caters more and more to the computer illiterate.

This does make sense, most people don't want to have to know how their computer works, they just want to turn it on and go at it.
Unfortunately that's not always possible.

They haven't reached a point where they are 100% reliable yet.

I always have at least 2 system images, one that I have used and know will work, (no matter how old it is).
I have one I keep up to date by creating a new one and deleting the one is will replace once it's done every month or so.

If the recent one doesn't work I at least have the old one I've used as a backup.

I recently used my recent backup to go back from 8.1 to 8.
It took about an hour and a half, and as Lorenkj1 said, I was biting me nails all the way, but it did work.

This now becomes my new backup, backup!

I used Paragon Backup and Recovery, I have used it in the past and so far it has always worked.

Mike

 

I use Acronis True Image 2013 for my Imaging need. I create new Images after each patch Tuesday. In this way my Images are always at most 1 month old. An up to date Image is so much better than a base Recovery disk or Image that you might get from MS or a PC manufacturer. These will only take you back to a base OS not the OS the way you have customized it. An Image you create will include all these customizations.

I also go through and restore the new Image right after I create it. This does indeed prove the Image works if needed. I follow this routine on 2 PCs every month, plus run File History on both.

 

Mike,

On Win 8.1, Windows 7 File Recovery is gone. But the same imaging utility can be found under File History in Control Panel.


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